Secrets
by AiriFox
Summary: Jaypaw is hiding something, and Leafpool is determined to find out what. Crack!pairing: JaypawXStick only makes sense if you made it through Dark River"!


**Author's Note: **I'm baack! Yeah, so after a looong break from fanfiction (even longer for Warriors stuff), I finally have a little something up.

But, if you're looking for something deep and insightful like my other two Warriors' submissions, you're NOT going to find it. This was drawn heavily from "Dark River" and Jaypaw's little cough fixation with the stick. Seriously, all throughout the book he's obsessing over a stick. So, me and my cousin one day sat back and we brought up the possibilities of how far Jaypaw's affection for the stick goes and this... Thing was born. So yeah, some pretty wacky, OOC-ness here. Anyways, any of my fellow cracky, JaypawXStick fans out there'll love this...

---

Leafpool had been noticing some, well, _changes _in Jaypaw.

He'd been more tempermental lately - more prone to petty arguments and bickering. He'd lash out at anyone, especially his poor siblings and mentor. At nights, he would sneak out of the den and wander off to heaven knows where. The pale brown tabby always pretended to not take note of his departure, but she knew well enough. And, in all truth, it scared her. The way he's glance furtively around the den (although he really couldn't, you know, _see _much) and tiptoe out reminded her of her own younger days sneaking out to meet Crowfeather. Surely little _Jaypaw _wouldn't be meeting anyone, would he?

And that was why, one night, she stayed awake just to see what her apprentice was up too. Before too long, she heard Jaypaw stand up from his false sleep and pad quietly towards, checking to see if his mentor really was dozing. Leafpool stilled herself, eyes shut and lay until he heard him depart. Then, silent as the milky shadows themselves, she followed.

Where exactly was Jaypaw planning on going? Down to the lake? What in Starclan's name was there to do in the middle of the night was there to do by the _lake, _of all places? Still, she kept silent, and kept to the shadows as she followed him. Then, he paused, rubbing up against something on the ground and… Murmuring? She chanced stealing a bit closer, just to catch his words…

"It's alright…" Jaypaw whispered, in a voice that seemed oddly soft when compared to his typical caustic tone. "But… We'll show them. It'll be okay."

Leafpool was puzzled - baffled. Was this still her same brooding apprentice?

"I _know _medicine cats aren't supposed to love but… You're different. We both know it…"

Leafpool stiffened. She'd made this same mistake, she wouldn't let Jaypaw jeporidize his position as well. No matter what they were up to, she had to intervene.

"Jaypaw!" The tabby stepped out of the bushes, revealing herself. She saw Jaypaw stiffen in surprise, sightless eyes stretching wide as his fur bristled on end. Yet oddly enough, there was no other cat…? She assumed the logical - she bolted.

"It's not what it looks like!", he protested, suddenly prickly and on the defensive. "Hey! Why are you following me anyways?!"

Leafpool sighed, and slowly made her way down to join the apprentice. "It's alright, Jaypaw. I know what's going on, and no matter what your feelings tell you, you need to put love aside and concentrate on your Clan."

"But - " Jaypaw began.

"Hear me out… I… I was in your situation once." The medicine cat bowed her head before regaining her composure and facing him once more, "I fell in love with Crowfeather. Yes, Windclan Crowfeather and… Though it felt great at the time, I know now it was the _worst _thing I'd ever done and I think, because of that incident, I still sometimes wish I hadn't picked this destiny." A wistful gleam appeared in the tabby's eyes as she turned her amber eyes to the stars above them. "Whoever it is, I know whoever this she-cat is is incredibly lucky to have the affection of a caring cat like you, but you need to stop now, before it's too late." She softly licked the top of his head - a reassuring gesture.

"But…" Jaypaw shifted uneasily, fur still on edge as his tail switched nervously across the ground, "It's not a she-cat I love… I mean, not exactly…-ish?" Leafpool ceased licking his head. What did he mean?

"Jaypaw, what…?"

"It's just… I know I'm different and this sounds really _stupid…"_ he spat the last word.

"So, who -"

"The stick!" he suddenly cried out before dropping his head, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

There was a thick note of a silence, until…

"A stick…?" Leafpool ventured.

"No!" spat the grey apprentice, "_The _stick. It's a _special _stick." He stood, and rubbed up against the very stick he'd shown her a few days back, sighing. The stick was large, weather-worn, and slashed with criss-cross claw marks.

"The stick. Jaypaw… I know you're interested in the stick, but I'm pretty sure cats can't love a-"

"Are you questioning our love?!" he demanded, tail fluffing up. "Just because we're a bit different!? Huh?!"

"I mean, Jaypaw -"

"_I'd _never make fun of _you! _What's wrong with my stick? We belong together!"

"Jaypaw…"

"Don't 'Jaypaw' me, Leafpool! You're as bad as the rest of Thunderclan…"

For a few electric moments, fierce jay-feather's blue bored into autumn amber. Suddenly, Leafpool sighed and departed.

"Fine… But don't get too attached… It'll only make breaking away harder…" the medicine cat shook her head, "Just, uhn… I'm not sure I want to think about it any harder…" Jaypaw seemed perfectly content as he twined his feathery tail around the literal object of his affections.

"Mmmm… My stick."

-

"So…" inquired Firestar the next morning as his brown tabby daughter passed him in the camp. "Did you ever figure out what was wrong with Jaypaw?"

"Yes and no." Leafpool responded, tone dour. "I don't think it's anything to be worried about…"

"Alright… Well, that's nice to know. Thank you, Leafpool." the fiery-pelted leader nodded and trotted off to band together the next patrol.

_Or, at least nothing to worry about yet… _she thought_, I really don't look forward to treating the injuries if he tries to have kits with that thing._

_---_

Wow, so pretty pointless huh? I know, so don't bother flaming me in the reviwes about it. I wasn't exactly trying to create a great work of literature here, just a little thing to make the rest of my fellow Jaypaw fankids chuckle. Yepyep.

Aaaand with and luck, I should be uploading a full length, chapter-based Warriors fic up. It takes place during the current canon arc, and is all about the little Clan I created with some of my family and friends and such. Even if you're not a member of the long-standing "Emberclan", I encourage to read it when it's up. :)

Yeah, that's about it.


End file.
